LAKEWOOD - The state is ready to have its say on the sprawling Eagle Ridge project.

The Department of Environmental Protection has announced that the application for an 1,800-home community on the Eagle Ridge Golf Club property is complete and that the department will make a decision on required environmental permits by July 7.

If the DEP approves the permits, the project would still need a thumbs-up from Lakewood Township before work could begin.

The project, introduced by GDMS Holdings LLC in February, has intensified an ongoing debate in Lakewood pitting those who say the town is being choked by new development against those who want more housing.

Plans call for 1,872 homes, five community centers and 44,677 square feet of retail space to replace at least 18 of the 27 holes at Eagle Ridge, according to attorney Michael Gross, who represents the developer.

Since the project was unveiled, neighbors living in the communities around the golf course, some of whom paid extra to live on the fairways, have revolted. More than 40 people spoke against the development at a public hearing earlier this month. Residents also sent more than 1,100 letters to the DEP in protest of the project.

"Ocean County can no longer take this kind of rapid development without consideration of how it's going to impact the community," said Bill Hobday, who lives near Eagle Ridge.

Yet several people spoke at the public hearing about Lakewood's need for more housing as the town continues to grown.

"Where is everyone going to live?" Lakewood resident David Klein asked at the hearing. "This is a growth-oriented town. We need housing."

Lakewood is among the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey. Building permit data shows that in 2016 Lakewood was building more houses than any place in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Statewide, only Fort Lee and Jersey City issued more residential building permits than Lakewood. Watch the videos at the top of this story for more on Lakewood's rapid development.

And people are coming to fill those houses. According to Census Bureau estimates, Lakewood now has about 100,000 residents. The town anticipates more than doubling in size to 230,000 people by 2030, township documents show. Growth like that will require residential development.

The DEP will have the first vote on whether that growth will take place at Eagle Ridge and the department has indicated to the developer it has major concerns about the proposal.

In March, the DEP sent a letter to GDMS saying "the project is not designed in accordance" with state environmental regulations. Issues included water and sewer service, and an improper traffic study.